by Roxie Rivera
Stepping up to the doorway, Sergei used the building as a shield for his body. In that deep, rumbling voice of his, he issued one clear order. "Turn around slowly with your hands in the air, or I will shoot you."
I strained to hear the movements inside the carriage house. The man there must have done exactly as Sergei ordered because he stepped away from his shielded spot for a better look. With his gun aimed and ready to fire at the first sign of trouble, Sergei held out a hand. "Come here, Bianca. Do you know this man?"
Joining Sergei, I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust to the new sources of light. When my gaze settled on the dirty, dusty man, I gasped. "Marcus?"
"Who is he?" Sergei asked more forcefully.
"He's one of the contractors who put in a bid on this place. The one who said he grew up around here," I clarified. Confused, I threw my hands wide. "What are you doing?"
A man on the verge of a breakdown, the contractor Marcus scratched his fingers through his hair and wiped his filthy hands down his face. Sweat had mixed with the dirt and dust to form muddy rivulets that arced across his face. "Please," he begged. "Just let me get my father, and I'll go."
"Your father?" Sergei and I echoed in unison.
Marcus stepped aside and gestured to the brick wall behind him that he had partially dismantled. Gasping, I jumped back and clamped both hands over my mouth to stifle a scream of sheer terror when I spotted the desiccated, mummy-like skeleton entombed there. Even Sergei who seemed so unflappable exhaled with shock and murmured with disbelief in Russian.
His moment of shock quickly passed. Sergei didn't take his eyes off Marcus who he now viewed as a threat. "Bianca, give me your phone and go back to the house right now."
I didn't argue with him. I handed over my phone and backed out of that carriage house ever so slowly. Once I was free from that big old house of crazy, I pivoted on my heel and raced back to the house. Staring out the windows there, I bit my lip—and waited.
*
Of all the things Sergei had expected to find out here in this creepy fucking building, a dead body locked away behind layers of bricks hadn't been one of them.
"I noticed the dimensions weren't right," he said finally. "When I compared the specs from the bids to the old blueprints, I discovered the discrepancy." Staring at the man, he asked the only question that mattered. "Why is your father in that wall?"
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck and dropped his crowbar in defeat. "Does it matter?"
"It might," Sergei said, still uncertain what course of action he would take. "Give me a reason not to call the police and have you arrested for murder."
"The house was never supposed to be bought by anyone outside of the family. Mother and I thought we had everything squared away with an attorney who was supposed to look after the trust and keep the tax bills paid. After Mother died, I left Houston and moved to Seattle with my family. I didn't even know the place had gone up for auction because of taxes until it was too late."
"So you tried to put in a bid with Bianca for renovating this place so you could get the body before it was discovered," Sergei guessed. "I wondered why your company was so new and had no references. I thought you were a scam."
Marcus shook his head. "I am a contractor in Seattle. I had a business here years ago so it was easy enough to fake some business cards and letterhead." Swiping his hand out in front of him, the desperate man insisted, "I never meant to scare her. I tried to come in one night, a few weeks ago, but there was this cop who ran me off so I high-tailed it out of here."
So Kevan had gotten the idea to play a prowler after Bianca had seen Marcus and reported him.
"I drove by other times, hoping I could get in here and do what needed to be done, but there were always men watching the house or you were here. I didn't see your SUV tonight so I assumed it was safe."
"Obviously not."
"No," Marcus agreed.
"You still haven't answered my question. Why is your father in that wall?"
Marcus didn't want to answer. Sergei recognized the shame that turned the man's eyes so bleak. Eventually, the contractor said, "He was a really bad man. He hurt my mother all the time. Sometimes he would hurt me. After he caused my mother to lose a baby, I decided he would never hurt her again. I caught him trying to rape her—and I snapped."
Sergei didn't say a word as the chilling tale poured out of the man's mouth. Now he knew why this place always gave him a bad feeling. That body entombed in the wall belonged to a monster.
"I was only thirteen. I didn't know my own strength. After it was done, Mother helped me wrap him up in a tarp. I brought him out here and…well." Marcus ran his hands over the uneven seams of the bricks. "That secret has been buried here for forty-two years."
"No one ever wondered where he had gone?"
"Everyone assumed he had walked out on us. He was a known womanizer and a gambler. Some people thought he might have been killed for his debts." Marcus hesitated before nervously inquiring, "What are you going to do with me?"
Sergei considered his options and decided there was only one way to end this quietly. He used Bianca's phone to dial a number he had memorized.
"Who the fuck is this?" Kostya's snarled answer made Sergei wince.
"It's me. I need your help."
"Sergei? What's wrong? Is someone after you and Bianca?"
"No, we need a different kind of help. Disposal," he said carefully.
Clothing rustled in the background. "Give me twenty minutes."
"Come around the back of Bianca's house. I'll open the gate for you."
"Da."
Marcus stared at him with apprehension, and Sergei realized the man hadn’t understood a single word of the Russian he had been speaking. "My friend is coming to help you. He's a cleaner. You understand?"
Marcus nodded weakly. "Yes. Why are you helping me?"
Sergei didn't reply because he didn't have an answer to that one. He honestly couldn't pinpoint the reason. Motioning toward the wall, he said, "You had better start digging. It will be sunrise all too soon, and I want you—and that—out of here before first light."
The contractor didn't have to be told twice. He went back to work, busting out the bricks that entombed his father and stacking them neatly to one side. Uncertain whether the man could be trusted, Sergei kept his gun on Marcus. He didn't want any surprises, not tonight when the whole wide world of possibilities had been unfurled in front of him.
When Kostya arrived, the cleaner stood in the doorway and took in the macabre scene. "Fuck me. This is a first."
Sergei glanced at Kostya. "Truly?"
Nodding, Kostya entered the carriage house to survey the ongoing work. "One hour tops, and I'm out of your hair."
Coming in under his estimate, Kostya helped Marcus remove and wrap the mummified body in forty minutes. A perfectionist, Kostya checked the wall cavity for any spare parts or evidence. He had Marcus load the tightly wrapped parcel into the back of his SUV. Holding the contractor's gaze, he said, "I'll bury it properly."
Marcus shrugged. "I don't care what you do with it."
The cold reply didn't surprise Sergei. After Kostya left, he walked Marcus out to the gate. Gripping the front of the man's shirt, he dragged the contractor up on his toes and gave one final warning. "If you ever come back here again or if even one fucking whisper of this gets out to anyone, I'll come for you. Then you'll be the one wrapped in plastic and blankets. Understand?"
"Yes." Marcus gulped. "I'm leaving Houston right now. You'll never see me again."
"That's a promise you had better keep." Sergei released the man's shirt and pushed him outside the gate. He waited until the man disappeared down the alley before going back to the house. Weary and haggard, he washed his hands at the kitchen sink, checked the doors and trudged upstairs.
Still wearing his shirt, Bianca sat on the edge of the bed and nervously swung her feet back and forth. "Well?"
"It's done. Kostya took care of it."
"Oh."
"Yes."
"Do I want to know why Marcus was using my carriage house as the family crypt?"
"No." He didn't want to talk about any of that. Pointing to his shirt, he said, "Take that off. Naked for a week, remember?"
With a huff, she peeled off the shirt and tossed it at him. "Happy?"
"I am now." He gazed at her luscious body and started to plan all the ways they would spend their Sunday afternoon.
She moved under the covers on her side of the bed, and he switched off the lamp. Sliding in next to her, he hauled her tight against him. Content to hold her, he caressed her arm and wondered at the bizarre end to an already stressful day.
"So I was thinking about that carriage house—"
"Don't worry," Sergei cut in. "I plan to have someone out here to raze that whole fucking thing as soon as possible."
"Thank God! Because, wow, I can't even stomach looking at it again."
"I feel the same way."
"So I had two prowlers, huh?"
"It seems that way. Kevan ran off Marcus that first time and then he took over the prowler's identity to scare you so he could stay close to you."
"This is so screwed up," she murmured. "I want to get back to my normal, boring life."
"You will," he promised.
"What about Darren Blake?"
She asked in a way that made him think she had figured out that answer for herself. "He can never hurt anyone else ever again."
"And the Night Wolves?"
"They were shut down from the inside." He didn't tell her that Nikolai and Besian had hidden James away so he could provide the evidence the Feds needed to round up those skinhead bastards. As far as Sergei knew, the younger guy was recovering from some plastic surgery in Mexico as a VIP guest of Romero Valero. It had all been neatly wrapped up by Nikolai and Besian in a way that used the Feds to do the heavy-lifting.
She drew lazy shapes on his chest for a while. "You know, maybe we could look into building a proper mother-in-law quarters out back."
"For your mama?"
"No, for yours."
Sergei reeled with surprise. "Mine?"
"Mama is talking about moving in with Aunt Penny and Aunt Sara. They have their eyes set on one of those new houses in that seniors-only housing development by the country club. She seems really excited about it so I was thinking maybe we could do something for your mom."
"Bianca, my mother is stuck in Russia. It could be years before she's able to immigrate."
Yawning, Bianca snuggled close and hooked her leg over his. "Don't worry about that. I have a plan."
"A plan?"
"Mmhmm," she murmured sleepily.
Though he wanted to interrogate her, Sergei held his curiosity at bay. She had fought tenaciously to save him. Heaven only knew what wonders she would work for his mother and Vladimir.
Throwing up a silent prayer of thanks for Vivian's devious theft during the wedding reception, he cradled Bianca close and dreamed of the bright future ahead of them.
Epilogue
"What do you think of this hotel?" I spun my laptop screen around so Sergei could see it. "It's close to the gallery where Vivian will be showing her paintings. It has some suite options that will work better for us since we'll be a group of four."
"It's nice. If you like it, I like it." Sergei winked at me before threading zucchini chunks onto skewers. We were preparing to host our first barbecue together as a couple, and he was finishing up some of the food prep.
"Did Vladimir finalize the plane tickets?"
"Yes, they'll be flying into London the day after we get there. We'll have four days together before they head back."
"Perfect." I selected the suite we needed to house all four of us and started the reservation process. "Don't forget that the lawyer rescheduled your meeting for tomorrow morning, Sergei."
"I haven't forgotten."
"And you've filled out all the citizenship paperwork, right?"
"Yes, milaya moya." Amusement filled his voice. "I've also got an appointment with Yuri to figure out how to put to set up the money for the investment Mama will make in my construction business."
One of the loopholes the new lawyer had suggested was to turn Sergei's mother into an investor with money she wanted to use create jobs here. Sergei planned to use the cash he had been socking away from his fight purses to fund her investment. If that didn't work, Sergei was only a few steps away from completing his citizenship. He could legally sponsor his mother one had those papers.
Once the lawyer had Sergei's mother's situation sorted out, it would be relatively straight-forward to get Vladimir over here. The former Spetsnaz commando had easily snagged a job with Dimitri's firm so he would qualify for immigration sponsorship through the Lone Star Group.
The process wouldn’t be simple or quick but it would be successful. Until then, Sergei and I had agreed that he would meet with his family every couple of months in Europe. He didn't feel safe returning to Moscow so it was the best compromise.
"Are you going to tell your mother about…?" Sergei eyed me carefully as he jammed chunks of red onion onto the skewers.
My hand drifted down to my belly. Like a true alpha male, Sergei had planted his seed inside me with just one try. I still couldn't quite believe it was true. My period was only a day late when had I tested on a whim. The double lines had stunned me. A blood test the next morning had confirmed the result. We were going to have a baby.
Even though I knew we had flirted with danger, I never in a million years thought it would happen after just one single time. Obviously I should have paid better attention to the statistics in sex ed class!
"Not tonight," I said finally. "That's something I want to share with her when it's just the two of us."
I wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take the news. She would be disappointed that I had gotten myself into trouble, as she would say, without being married. Eventually, though, she would come around and support me. I could already imagine what a doting, coddling grandmother she would be. Once Sergei's mother made it over here, she would probably be just as bad. Our child was going to be so spoiled.
"The three of us," Sergei corrected. "I want your mother to know I take my responsibility seriously."
"And your mother? Have you told her?"
He shook his head. "I'll tell her in person when we go to London later this month."
Abandoning the skewers, Sergei walked around the island and spun my barstool so that we were facing each other. His big hand curved protectively against my belly. "I know this is still a shock, and it's not ideal timing, Bianca, but I love you." He rubbed his hand over the place where our baby was growing. "It's been four days, and I'm already in love with this baby. We'll make it work."
Sliding my arms around him, I closed my eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of him. His soothing heat and strength assuaged the lingering fears. "You're right. It isn't ideal, but I keep telling myself that we'll give this baby a good life."
"We will," he assured me. "I'm out of that life now. Your business is booming. I'll spend more time actively working at the construction company instead of simply taking a cut. I'm going to pick up some extra work with Ivan, too." He gestured around us. "We'll tackle the priority projects around here and get the house ready for the baby. It will be okay, Bianca. You'll see."
Loving the way Sergei could calm me down and reassure me so easily, I caressed his handsome face. The future promised some big changes for us, but I was ready to meet them. We were starting our journey together, and I couldn’t wait to see where the path would lead us.
Author's Note
Thanks so much for reading SERGEI (Her Russian Protector #5)! I hope you enjoyed Sergei and Bianca's story. The next books in the series will release in 2014 and include a NIKOLAI, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #6) a sequel that picks up a few weeks after this book ends, ALEXEI (Her Russian Protector #7) and KOSTYA (Her Russian Protector #8.)
If you hav
en't read In Kelly's Corner yet, you can pick up a copy of that book right now to get his side of the fight story. Big brother Jack is up next in the Fighting Connollys series with In Jack's Arms.
You can check out my website, Facebook page or sign up for my newsletter for updates and notices on upcoming releases. I also offer Free Reads featuring couples from my books on my website. There are more reads planned for release in late December!
About the Author
When I’m not chasing after my wild preschooler, I like to write super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas with a husband who could easily snag a job as an extra on History Channel’s new Viking series and a sweet but rowdy four-year-old.
I also have another dirty-book writing alter ego, Lolita Lopez, who writes deliciously steamy tales for Ellora’s Cave, Forever Yours/Grand Central, Mischief/Harper Collins UK, Siren Publishing and Cleis Press.
You can find me online at www.roxierivera.com or www.roxieriverawriter.com.
Roxie's Backlist
Her Russian Protector Series
Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)
Dimitri (Her Russian Protector #2)
Yuri (Her Russian Protector #3)
Nikolai (Her Russian Protector #4)
Sergei (Her Russian Protector #5)
Nikolai, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #6) – Coming Spring 2014
Alexei (Her Russian Protector #7) – Coming Summer 2014
Kostya (Her Russian Protector #8) – Coming Fall 2014
The Fighting Connollys Series
In Kelly's Corner (Fighting Connollys #1)
In Jack's Arms (Fighting Connollys #2)—Coming December 2013!
In Finn's Heart (Fighting Connollys #3)—Coming March 2014!
Seduced By…
Seduced by the Loan Shark
Seduced by the Loan Shark 2—Coming Soon!
Seduced by the Congressman
Seduced by the Congressman 2
Erotica
Chance's Bad, Bad Girl
Halftime With Craig
Tease
Eddie's Cuffs 1
Eddie's Cuffs 2